Biden Cites Liz Truss Fiasco As Cautionary Tale Against Republican Tax Cuts

The president said Truss's botched economic plan "caused economic chaos" in the UK.
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President Joe Biden on Wednesday again weighed in on former prime minister Liz Truss’s now-scrapped economic plan.

The turmoil that followed the announcement of her “mini-budget,” which included $50 billion (£43 billion) worth of unfunded tax cuts, triggered a fall in the value of the pound, increased the country’s borrowing costs and led to the downfall of Truss’s government.

Before ultimately resigning, Truss was forced to U-turn on her policy and fired her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng.

Biden pointed to the botched economic plan as evidence that cutting taxes for the rich doesn’t work, during a virtual appearance at a campaign event for Democratic Representative Cindy Axne.

“You read about what happened in England recently, and the last prime minister, she wanted to cut taxes for the super wealthy — it caused economic chaos in the country,” Biden said, according to The Hill.

Biden warned Republicans would introduce further tax cuts if they win back the House, which in turn would put upward pressure on inflation — a major concern for voters. 

“Well, that’s what they did last time, and they want to do it again,” Biden said.

Former president Donald Trump signed a massive tax bill in 2017, which included tax cuts estimated to cost about $1.5 trillion (£1.3 trillion) over 10 years.

This is not the first time Biden has criticised Truss’s economic agenda.

During a trip to Oregon earlier this month, the president called the plan “a mistake,” adding that he disagreed with the policy of cutting taxes for the wealthy.

Truss made history as the shortest-serving UK prime minister ever. She was replaced Tuesday by Rishi Sunak, the first British Asian to lead the country.